Do you experience anxiety or frustration due to hair loss, but feel that a wig or going bald is incompatible with your identity?

You should not lose hope, as hair transplant surgery has increasingly become a viable option for dealing with this problem.

According to data from the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, hair transplant surgery grew by 76% between 2006 and 2014 to reach over 1 M procedure.

If you are thinking of having hair transplant surgery in India, this is what you need to know:

What happens in Hair Transplant?

Hair transplant surgery is done using 2 types of procedures: follicular unit strip surgery (FUSS) and follicular unit extraction (FUE), which are considered to be the gold standard for hair transplants.

Under both procedures follicular units which occur naturally on the scalp are removed from the donor site and implanted in the bald part of your scalp, allowing the hair follicles to grow in the same manner as they did before harvesting from the donor site.

FUT and FUE differ from each other due to the manner in which harvesting is done; in FUT the surgeon removes a strip skin and dissects it into microscopic implants, while in FUE the follicles are removed piece meal.

Hair transplant surgery takes about 1to 6 hours for a single sitting

Cost of hair transplant in India

Time required

Days in hospital – 1 day

Stay in India – 1 week

Back to work –2 to 5 days

What are the potential risks?

Although hair transplant surgery is a low risk procedure, it comes with several complications. Some of the post-surgery problems that may be encountered include infection, bleeding, poor growth from damaged follicles, scarring, and darkening of the scalp.

Post-op care

You will have some swelling or bruising around you hairline which should ease after a few days

You will have a pink scalp which may feel tight; however this is very normal.

Your newly transplanted hair will eventually be shed off, but this is also normal, and is referred to as thermal shock

You will be given an antibiotic for washing your scalp as well as instructions on how to shampoo your head

Other instructions from your surgeon may include:

Keep your compression bandage in place for a day, and keep it clean and dry

Sleep in a semi-upright position on your first night back home; use pillows to prop up your head

Avoid touching the newly grafted areas of your head even if you feel itchy or sore